Emergency safety-door latch.



w. s. ROGERS.

EMERGENCY SAFETY noon LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAYG, 190B.

Ea Z

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

4k 7 [7rd 1 COLUMHIYA PLANOGRAPH COHM'ASHINOTON, n. c.

W. S. ROGERS.

. EMERGENCY SAFETY DOOR LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAYG, 1908. Patented Dec. 5, 1911.,

2 SHEETSSHEET 2,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. ROGERS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSTGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AMERICAN SAFETY DOOR COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

EMERGENCY SAFETY-DOOR LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be 'it known that I, WILLIAM S. ROGERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Emergency Safety-Door Latches, of which the following is a full, clear, and-exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. e

This invention relates to emergency safetydoor latches for schools, theaters and such other buildings or places as are intended for the assembling of crowds of people; and it has for its object the provision of improved means connected with the exit doors for automatically opening the latter in case of fire or panic.

The specific nature of my invention will appear from the following description and from the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a double door having my invention applied thereto, said view showing the interior of the doors; Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the door shown in Fig. 1, the same being removed from the jamb or casing; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. at is a vertical section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the doors showing one of the same open and the means for retaining the .doors in their open position; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of the interior of one of the doors of Fig. 1 with the plate or apron removed therefrom, thehorizontally movable latch and the operating bar connected therewith; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the mechanism for withdrawing the vertically movable bolts; Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7, and Fig. 9 shows the means for retaining the doors in their open positions.

My invention may be readily applied to any door of a building in such position that a slight pressure in the direction of the door automatically unlatches the same and permits a crowd of panic stricken people to emerge from the building as readily as if the door were already open.

Taking up a description of my invention by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference characters designate the same parts throughout the several views, A and B represent doorsthat swing respectively from the opposite sides of the j amb or casing C and form a double door of the well known type. The hinges D may also be of the ordinary two-way type, permitting the doors to swing in both directions from theirclosed positions. The door B is latched when shut by bolts 1 and 2, which are carried by the door and are adapted to engage in keepers above and below the latter. The door A is provided with a spring pressed longitudinally sliding bolt 3, which is adapted to engage in a keeper at the edge of the door B, whereby the former door maybe unlatched and operated independently of the door B. When the latter door is unlatched and opened, however, it leiaves the door A free to be pushed open a so.

The bolts 1 and 2 are connected, through links, chains or cords 4: and 5, with a rocking plate or member 6, said plate being mounted on the door B and spaced therefrom, as shown in Fig. 3. When this plate is rocked to the right, the bolts will be simultaneously withdrawn from their keepers, thus leaving the door B free to be pushed open. The plate 6 is rocked by means now to be described.

Pivoted on a horizontal pivot rod 7, which is secured to the door B above the member 6, is a plate or panel 8, which is preferably of the form shown in Fig. 4:. This panel has'on its inner sideone or more lugs 9, the drawing showing three such lugs. As the panel is swung toward the door, these lugs contact with inclined plates 10 corresponding in number with the lugs 9, which cam plates are adjustably secured by means of a screw and slot connection, as shown in Fig. 6 to a horizontally slidable bar 11 that is secured to the door by keepers 12. The contact of the lugs with the inclined plates moves the bar 11 to the left. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, this bar is adjustably connected to the lower part of the rocking member 6, the connection being made by a bolt 13, having a shoulder 14: and a head 15, the bar being confined between the head and shoulder, but being capable of turning on the bolt. This bolt is passed through a radially extending slot 16 in the member 6, and is held immovably in said slot by anut 17 that clamps the member against the shoulder 14. When the bar 11 is moved by the panel 8, the member 6 is rocked and the bolts 1 and are withdrawn from their keepers. By securing the bolt 13 at different places in the slot 16, the bolts 1 and 2 may be caused to move difi'erent distances, such adjustment being made as will cause the release of the door without excessive movement of the member 6.

The door A carries a bar 11 that is held thereon by keepers 12 said bar being provided with inclined plates 10*, the keepers and inclined plates being of the same construction as the corresponding parts on the door B. A plate or panel 8 moves the bar 11 through the engagement of lugs on the panel with the inclined plates on the bar. The left-hand end of the bar has a pin and slot connection with the bolt 3 such that, when the bar is moved to the right, the bolt will be withdrawn from its keeper on the door 13. This form of connection, however, permits said bolt to be operated independently of the bar, as by a key 18 from the outer side of the door. For holding the doors in open position, I attach to their outer sides a hook 19 which is adapted to couple with a pivoted hook 20 on the door jamb or wall of the building. The panels 8 and 8 may be held outwardly by springs 21 of any desired form, and they may be restrained from excessive outward movement by any suitable means, as by a keeper 22 that is attached to the rear face of the panel in position to loosely receive the spring 21.

By the construction above described, either door may be released by a light pressure exerted at any point along the length of its panel, whereas a plate pivoted at one edge of the door can be easily depressed only when the pressure is applied near the free end. Furthermore, the plurality of lugs and inclined plates assures that the bar will be moved irrespective of the point at which the pressure is applied, whereas with a single lug and inclined plate, the plate might buckle or twist under pressure without mov ing the bar. Another advantage inherent in my construction resides in the fact that the panels or members 8 are formed with an inwardly extending portion which, as shown, is curved, this portion being the part pivoted upon the door. This inwardly extending portion substantially touches the door so that there is no danger of any object gaining lodgment between the panels and the door to obstruct the free movement of the same. I desire it to be understood, however, that I do not limit myself to the use of a plurality of these lugs and plates, or to any of the other details shown and described, except as the same may be specifically set forth in the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a door, of a member mounted on horizontal pivots on latter when the said member is swung to-' ward the door.

2. The combination with a door, of a member carried on pivots that are secured to the door, lugs on the inner side of said member, a longitudinally movable bar secured to the door beneath the member, inclined projections on said bar that are adapted to be engaged by said lugs for moving the bar when the member is swung inwardly, a locking bolt for the door, and a connection between the bar and said bolt for moving the latter when the member is swung toward the door.

3. The comblnation wlth a door, of a panel carried on horizontal pivots that are secured to the door, lugs on the inner side of said panel, a longitudinally movable bar secured to the door beneath. the panel, inclined projections on said bar that are adapted to be engaged by said lugs for moving the bar when the panel is swung inwardly, a locking bolt for the door, and a slotted connection between the bar and said bolt for moving the latter when the panel is swung toward the door.

at. The combination with a door, of a member pivoted to said door, a horizontally slidable bar mounted on the door, connections between said member and bar for moving the latter as the member is swung in one direction on its pivot, a bolt carried by the door for holding the latter in its closed position, a pin and slot connection between the bolt and the bar, and means for moving the bolt independently of the bar and the member.

5. The combination with a door, of a panel pivoted to said door on horizontal pivots, said panel extending substantially the entire width of the door, a bar mounted to slide on the door beneath the panel, cooperating means upon the panel and the bar for moving the bar when the panel is depressed, a bolt carried by the door for holding the latter in its closed position, a pin and slot connection between the bolt and the bar, and means for moving the bolt independently of the bar and the panel.

6. The combination with a door, of a horizontal pivot rod secured to the door, a panel suspended from said rod, lugs on the inner face of said panel, a longitudinally movable bar secured to the door, adjustable inclined projections on said bar for cooper ating with the lugs on the panel, whereby,

upon the depression of the panel the bar will be moved longitudinally, a bolt for locking the door, and a slotted connection between the said bar and the bolt.

7. The combination with a door, of ahori- Zontal pivot rod secured to the door, a panel suspended from said rod, lugs on the inner face of said panel, a longitudinally movable bar secured to the door, adjustable inclined projections on said bar for cooperating with the lugs on the panel, whereby, upon the depression of the panel, the bar will be moved longitudinally, a bolt for locking the door, a slotted connection between the said bar and the bolt, and means for normally hold panel is moved toward the door, a plate piv,

oted to the door, adjustable connections between the bar and plate for rocking the latter as the bar is moved longitudinally, a pair of locking bolts on said door, and connections between the said plate and said bolts for moving the latter when the plate is rocked.

9. The combination with a door, of a s member pivoted thereto so as to be capable of movement'toward and from the door, a spring for holding said member in normal position, a longitudinal bar mounted on the door beneath the said member, adjustable inclined plates secured to said bar, said inclined plates being adapted to be engaged by the member when the latter is moved toward the door, a bolt for the door, and a connection between the said bolt and bar for operating the bolt when the member is moved toward the door.

10. The combination with a door, of a panel pivoted thereto on a horizontal axis so as to be capable of movement toward and from the door, a spring for holding said panel in normal position, a longitudinal bar mounted on the door beneath the said panel, adjustable inclined plates secured to said bar, said plates being adapted tobe engaged bv the panel when the latter is moved toward the door, a bolt for the door, and pinand-slot connections interposed between the said bolt and bar for operating the'bolt when the panel'is moved toward the door.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM s. RQGERS.

Witnesses:

S. E. FoU'rs, A. J. HUnsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. 

